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Paradiso: Ch. 2
CHAPTER II Stowaway Alexander Dragobert was the king of the ocean. He was a golden haired god of the sea, with cold, hard eyes like white marble. A steel, bronze sword fell to his left side, while an adhesive launcher was strapped to his right. A rifle was always slung across his back as he patrolled the decks of the Scarlett Raider. ''Captain Drago (as he was called) was an honorable, yet dangerous, scourge of the sea. He was famous in Nassau for his various expeditions and midnight-brawls at The Bard's Beer Inn. So then why, might you ask, was a young boy such as I- Nathan Santiago- hiding away on his ship? Japan was close enough to the edge of Russia, which was the ''Scarlett Raider's ''destination. If I could stay on this ship long enough to make it all the way to Russia, I would be able to get to Japan, and then Kyoto, with ease. The problem was staying on the ship. I ahd snuck onto the metal hull of the ''Scarlett Raider ''at the Ports of Nassau. Making my way across the soggy, wooden docks of Port Avery, I had found the ''Scarlett Raider ''to be the biggest amongst the other ships that crowded the harbor. It was the size of three military chargers compacted into one. The ''Scarlett Raider was a conversion ship, meaning it was a water ship and a space ship. It was made of Neptunina Steel, something all aquatic vehicles were made of these days. It's sails were weaved together with the steel-like, white fiber of Arachnian Thread. The deck of the ship was sleek and silver, covered in panels and hacking pads, with floorboards underneath it. I had practically smelled the treasure and adventure that trailed this ship as I had climbed aboard it. So here I was, sitting behind a large, oak wood barrel of sweet rum. The golden liquid dripped silentley to the floor from a crack in the bottom. The sound of the waves rocking against the hard sides of the ship was slowly lulling me into a deep sleep. My eyelids were heavy, my mind clouded by the slowly oncoming lure of dreamstate. My hands were wrapped around my knees, my hair wet and shaggy as I stared up at the dark, soggy cieling above. Kyoto, Japan was my destination. The Spitfire was my target. My mind was bombarded with ideas of how I would find and win this assassin over, but I was more determined than anything to do it. My eyelids grew heavier and heavier as the small specks of light pouring in through the deck holes above grew into black rays of night. There was silence aboard the Scarlett Raider ''as night descended upon the unwary... ~ A cold, slimy boot slammed into my gut, knocking the wind out of me. I flew forward, the barrel of rum collapsing under my weight and sending a wave of rum crashing down upon me. My shirt was stained a brilliant golden, bronze while the taste of strong alcohol spilled into my mouth. I opened my stinging, bloodshot eyes, lifting my head up slowly towards my attacker. As my vision cleared, I saw the outline of a tall man standing in front of me. He had golden blonde hair and cold, sharp eyes like white marble. "The first rule of being a stowaway..." Alexander Dragobert said, "Don't fall asleep." He picked me up by the collar of my shirt and began to drag me. Pain washed over my body like a tsunami as I was carried up a hard, creaking flight of stairs, my head hitting every other step. Captain Drago slammed me onto the deck of the ''Scarlett Raider ''with enough force to shake the Earth. I rolled to a stop in the center of the deck. Drago at my head and row of pirates at my feet. "Good evenin' boys!" Drago shouted, gripping his sheathed sword tight in his left hand. "Evenin' Cap'n!!!" The crew shouted with a roar like a screaming, blood thirsty pack of monsters. They laughed a maniacal laugh, their voices piercing the night like a hundred villainous daggers. "It seems," Drago chuckled, looking down at me with his moon white eyes, "...that we have a stowaway." There was a long pause as the crew glared at me, grinding their teeth together like hammer against anvil. "Now, I'm sure you all know how we deal with stowaways aboard this ship, boys!" Drago shouted over the high sea winds, his eyes lit up like a flickering, white fire. "AYE!!!" the crew chanted, their anger directed at me. "Slice 'im open!" one pirate screamed. "Feed 'im to the sharks!" one chuckled, drawing his cutlass. "Strip the flesh, Cap'n! Salt the wounds!" three more chanted in unison. I gulped down a stream of bile, my eyes die in fear. My chest heaved heavily, my breath finally starting to flow back into my lungs after being kicked so hard in the stomach. I looked up towards the captain, who was once more glaring at me. "Aye...these be fine ideas, boys," Drago said. "But I'd rather face him myself..." Drago unsheathed his steel, bronze colored sword and tossed it to my feet. "Stand, boy," he growled. In a matter of seconds, I was on my feet. The sword was weilded in my hand, though I had no idea if I was doing it correctly or not. The crew laughed at my sudden burst of bravery, as if it were stupidity. But hey- you never become a true hero without making stupid mistakes first...right? Drago walked forward, holding out his hand and calling to his crew, "Roger. Bring me Patroclus." A small, beefy, red-headedman waddled up to him and handed him a long, sheathed sword. I was instantly amazed, my eyes growing wide in fear. The scabbard was black, with golden Greek letters carved into it. "Meet Patroclus," Dragobert said, unsheathing the sword to which my jaw dropped. It was a blend of colors, a mixing pot of bronze, silver, and gold. "I won this beauty on ahunt to Crete...it's of the finest metals: Hermetic Bronze, Selenian Silver, and Hyperion Gold. I've never lsot a battle with Patroclus, and I don't plan on loosing to you...son of Zephyrus." Drago whispered the last part, which only I seemed to hear as the crew began to cheer loudly. My eyes widened; was this psychotic pirate a mind reader...or a god?! Alexander pointed Patroclus at me, the tip of the blade reflecting the moonlight into my face. "En Garde," the Captain of the ''Scarlett Raider ''grimaced. He lunged forward, Patroclus colliding with my simple, steel blade. The sword was knocked from my hand, clattering to the deck to my left. The crew grew louder and louder as their captain advanced on me. "Strip 'is flesh! Salt 'is wounds!" the dirty, rioting buckaneers screamed. With one swift stroke, Patroclus slapped his blade across my face. A long, deep cut was slashed over my lip, blood beggining to spill down my chin. I almost screamed in pain, but I held it back, keeping the remaining courage and bravery I had left. Drago lunged again, leaving a deep gash on my arm. Blood dripped to the steel, sleek deck below. Small puddles of dark, thick blood began to form at my feet. I knew it would only be a matter of seconds before I was dead. Patroclus glistened in the moonlight, as Dragobert advanced, pushing my back towards his crew who had also drawn their swords. I was sandwhiched between a pack of weapons, as if I had been shoved in a closet at the armor store. The captain lunged again, this time stabbing instead of slicing. His blade dug deep into my shoulder, pulling out quickly and gracefully. Blood flew across the deck as the wound opened up in my flesh. I cringed in pain, biting my lip forecfull and shifting my legs backwards. As my jeans shifted around my moving legs, I felt a bulge in my pocket. My eyes widened at the realization that I still had a weapon in my possession. Sure, it was small and would probably get my killed...but if I could just make it to the edge of the boat... In the blink of an eye, I drew my pocket knife. It was small and molescule compared to Patroclus and the cutlasses behind me, but it did the trick. The crew broke out into a fit of angry laughter, most of them cackling so hard that they fell to the deck floor. Captain Drago laughed, but his inital focus remained on me. "A knife will do you no good aboard the ''Scarlett Raider," he laughed. "It only makes me want to kill you...that...much...more..." What happened next was beyond my comprehension. Drago lunged, his grip on Patroclus as professional as any swordmaster. The long, sharp sword drove itself towards me, splitting the air with an earsplitting shriek. I swung my knife in his direction, death being imminent. As my short blade was swung in the direction of the pirate captain, the most incredible thing happened. I felt something snap in my gut. It was as if a capsule had broken and flooded my body with insane amounts of energy. My gut seemed to harden as I took in a deep, cold breath. I could feel the soft, summer breeze of the night churning through my veins, as if my blood was made of air. In one quick motion, a wave of gustful wind errupted from my tiny knife. My eyes widened in surprise, as did Drago's. The wind slammed into him, sending him flying through the deck below. A big, Drago-shaped hole was all that was left as I heard him clatter and fall through the floors of the ship. I, however, flew up. The recoil of the wind blast sent me flying high into the air, over the heads of the pirates. My body soared over the crow's nest like an eagle as I sailed towards the glistening, dark blue water below. The moon cast a glaring light over me, my wounds burning deeply. My vision began to go blurry as I slammed hard into the ocean. As I sank, the ocean around me turned red. Salty water seeped into my wounds, sending waves of pain throughout my body. My eyelids began to close as I sank into unconciousness, the surface of the ocean dissapearing above me... Category:Paradiso Category:Bladewood 2.0